Pawtucket Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to one count of possession of child pornography, including hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
William Dickson, 61, of Pawtucket, pleaded guilty on March 27, 2026 to one count of possession of child pornography. Dickson will be sentenced on July 13, 2026. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified an online peer-to-peer file sharing account used by Dickson to download and share CSAM. On April 10, 2024, federal agents executed search warrants on Dickson’s residence, person, and vehicle, where they seized multiple electronic devices.
A forensic analysis of the defendant’s devices revealed approximately 820 images and 20 videos depicting CSAM.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/PSC